The 2012 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition proved to be a breakout year for Livermore Valley wineries. With 143 award winners from the region, critics, wine experts and consumers are taking notice of the recent success from the Livermore Valley.

Now you have the chance to celebrate Livermore Valley’s big winners during an intimate winemaker dinner to be held Friday, February 24th at Wente Vineyards. This is sure to be a memorable evening highlighting the award-winning wines, smartly paired with tempting courses from The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards. The gourmet menu includes:

A dessert reception will follow with specially selected wine from each winery.

The evening kicks off at 6:30 pm with a welcome reception. The winemaker dinner and dessert reception will immediately follow from 7:00- 10:00 pm at the Wente Vineyards Event Center. A limited number of tickets are available for purchase online for this intimate evening.

According to Heather McGrail of McGrail Vineyards, the Livermore Valley Winemaker Dinner is just one example of the collaboration evident among wineries throughout the region.

“Everyone was very excited about the results from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and Larry Dino from Cuda Ridge winery approached us about partnering for a winemaker dinner,” said McGrail. “Fortunately, most Livermore wineries enjoy working together and believe in the philosophy that working together creates greatness.”

McGrail Vineyards Winemaker, Mark Clarin, also agrees that the results from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition are just the beginning of great things to come for the Livermore Valley.

“The Livermore Valley has a rich and long history of producing exceptional wines over the past 150 plus years. Among the varieties historically recognized are Sauvignon Blanc and Petite Sirah,” said Clarin. “As we have moved into the 21st Century we are proving that many noble grape varieties can produce outstanding wines including our Cabernet Sauvignon. Livermore Valley AVA – We are cooler than you think.”